Ian Schrager's has opened Clift, the latest luxury hotel in his fast-expanding portfolio, in San Francisco.

Schrager has once again teamed up with designer Phillipe Starck to refurbish the 'unconventionally elegant' 375-bed property brought from the Four Seasons Group in 1996.

Originally built in 1913, Clift has been developed to offer guests the facilities of a modern luxury hotel, with a 24-hour business centre, banqueting rooms for up to 400 people, 24-hour gymnasium, and the Art Deco bar and Asia de Cuba restaurant.

Schrager says that San Francisco was the perfect choice for the latest Schrager/Starck partnership: My mission has been to bring some originality, creativity and ultimately a sense of humour back onto the hotel landscape. San Francisco was founded on the pioneer spirit and continues to attract non-conformists the world over - I can't think of a better place for us to be.

Ian Schrager Hotels operates seven hotels in the US, as well as The Sanderson and St Martin's Lane hotels in London. Projects in the pipeline include Empire in New York, Miramar in Santa Barbara and a hotel and urban entertainment complex in South America.